MRSA in the NHS at a record low

MRSA bloodstream infections in the NHS have reached record low levels with fewer than 100 infections recorded in a single month for the first time, new official statistics have confirmed today.

The Health Protection Agency has published the monthly data for MRSA and C difficile for June 2011. Compared with June 2010, the statistics show:

MRSA bloodstream infections have fallen from 134 to 97. This represents a 28%reduction and a record low since MRSA mandatory surveillance started in 2001.

25 acute trusts have had no trust-apportioned MRSA infections between June 2010 and June 2011.

C difficile figures have fallen from 2,001 to 1,681. This represents a 16% reduction and continues the downward trend.

Reacting to today’s figures, Secretary of State for Health Andrew Lansley said:

“I have been calling for a zero-tolerance approach to avoidable healthcare associated infections since 2004. Now, just over one year into the coalition government, MRSA bloodstream infections in the NHS are at their lowest level since records began with fewer than 100 infections in a single month for the first time.

“What’s more, 25 trusts have been MRSA-free for more than a year, proving that with tough infection control measures we can eradicate avoidable infections from the NHS altogether.

“This sustained pattern of falling infections across the health service is good news. However, the variation between the very best in the country and the very worst is still unacceptably high. So while progress has been made, we must do better to shrink this gap and improve standards for all.”

The HPA now publish MRSA and C difficile infection data on a weekly basis for each hospital site so patients can see which hospitals are doing well and which ones are lagging behind. Mandatory surveillance now also includes MSSA and E coli infections.

Greater transparency of information and data will encourage service providers to continue to reduce infections, leading to better patient outcomes, as well as savings for the NHS.